One Year Later: Lessons from Lemonade

Photo Credit: By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50297180

Yesterday marked one year since Queen Bey came through and slayed our lives with the forever iconic short film/album Lemonade. Our edges were snatched for weeks as we debated what the album was really about (Did Jay cheat or nah?) while immersing ourselves in the stunning visuals, celebrating a new era in the depictions of black womanhood in music, and calling out the current state of being black in America (Freedom will always hold a special place in my heart). Now, a year later, the album still remains as relevant as ever. Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane and the lessons we learned from Lemonade.

Every relationship has its purpose.

This lesson is sprinkled throughout the album but it’s on the song that had Beyonce reminding us she’s from Houston, Texas Baby, that we get its deepest understanding. And learning to appreciate the complexities of the relationships in our lives isn’t always easy. “When trouble comes into town and men like me come around…” Daddy Lessons is a song where Beyonce low-key spills the tea about the lessons learned from her father, his shortcomings, and how they’ve shaped and strengthened her today. As an adult woman, I find myself leaning hard on the lessons of my youth. Referring to the things my father told me, his infamous “you’re gonna have to be twice as good” speeches. And even though our parents are far from perfect, no shade Matthew, we appreciate the lessons for better and worse.

Be your own lifeline.

Although I had chills many times making my way through Lemonade over and over, Love Drought probably touched me the deepest. In life, we’re always taught to “do unto others, as you would have them, do unto you” however, as we grow we’re hit wit the hard lessons that those actions aren’t always reciprocated. As a person who finds themselves on the giving end more often than naught, this one hit home. I love hard and because of that, I have found myself feeling the same hurt and confusion “I’ll always be committed, I been focused, I always paid, attention, been devoted. Tell me, what did I do wrong?” Love Drought is a tough reminder that the only lifeline you need is yourself and the higher power in which you believe.

Forgiveness is an essential strength.

“Trade your broken wings for mine. I’ve seen your scars and kissed your crimes.” Whew. All Night is the song that had us doing the ugly cry. It’s an ode to forgiveness and a message that in life, we mess up. Listen, I know I have and I probably will again. And though forgiveness might take on different forms—sometimes it’s forgive and forget, other times it’s forgive and move on—it is so necessary for your well being. Listening to Lemonade from start to finish you can literally feel the weight that is lifted once you get to All Night. A literal and figurative reminder that “every diamond has its imperfections”…

Everything ain’t always what it seems.
The last lesson to share here can’t be attributed to one song on the album. It’s a not so subtle reminder that everything ain’t always what it appears to be. At this point, we’ve all pretty much seen the memes and heard the jokes. Beyonce’s lyrics “you gone lose your wife” in Don’t Hurt Yourself or the legendary Angela Basset in Waiting to Exhale like scenes in Hold Up had every scorned lover ready to kick bae to the side with a quickness. As we (impatiently) wait to get a glimpse of those twins and listen to Lemonade back to back, remember my favorite phrase “take what you need and leave the rest”.

Who else has Lemonade on repeat this week?